Virtual Diversity & Inclusion Conference

In today’s society, all of us are still very often expected to fit into certain categories.

When we think of certain positions, we have a picture of who fits that particular mold
– A nurse will be a woman
– A manager a white male
– A basketball player a tall black man

Oftentimes, we ourselves try to “fit in”. A women will be more quiet during the meeting, as she is afraid of being perceived as aggressive. A gay person may try to avoid discussing the week-end so that talking about the evening spent with the loved one does not give away their homosexuality.

We spend so much time and energy to try to fit in. Imagine how liberating, how much more productive and innovative a world would be, where we can all just be ourselves. Just the way we are and without adjusting our expectations to all of those molds that society tries to fit us in.

I want my daughter to grow up in a world, where she just becomes herself. Where she does not limit her thinking, her future, her being to what society may expect of her as a young girl. A world where she and all other kids and adults can give up on “fitting in” and being fully respected for who they are.

Being more than 18 months into the global pandemic and with some uncertainties still ahead, it comes as no surprise that many employers and jobseekers alike are tired and hoping for positive change.

Now is the opportunity and time for leaders to be the change makers by helping employees stay fulfilled and motivated, addressing the biggest barriers in creating a more inclusive workplace and empowering DI&B teams with the support that they need.

In this session, we look at the current state of play in UK workplaces and the actions needed to continue moving the needle. In collaboration with YouGov, Indeed recently carried out one of the most comprehensive studies into diversity, inclusion and belonging (DI&B) within UK workplaces.

Attend this session for an exclusive overview of the key findings and actionable takeaways from this brand-new report!

Several changes have taken place over the last year and a half. One of them was an acceleration in the drive from active fathers to be recognised and supported by their employers While the media rightly worried about the gendered impact of the pandemic and its various lockdowns, many men stepped up much more visibly into active parenting roles, demanding flexible working and gender-neutral parental leave from their employers. Hot on the heels of International Mens Day, hear from two professional working fathers describing their own personal and professional journeys. We hear from Chris Bryant, Partner at law firm BCLP who was named to the named to the 2019 Timewise Power 50 as well Oliver Black Work+Family Commercial Director who will discuss balancing family life with client relationships as a provider of work+family solutions to around 400 leading UK employers, and 1,300 globally. We’ll discuss what’s changed personally and professionally across the last year and what actions employers must take now to enhance the employee experience for working families of all genders and structures. Learn what leading employers are doing from policy to practice, enabling you to benchmark your own provision at this time of rapid new developments.

Hosted by Jennifer Liston-Smith, Head of Thought Leadership at Bright Horizons, pioneer of parent transition coaching and leading influencer for over 15 years, in conversation with Chris Bryant, Partner BCLP, named to the 2019 Timewise Power 50 and Oliver Black, Work+Family Commercial Director

With my experience leading Equity, Diversity & Inclusion teams across 100+ countries and 4 different sectors, I will share some of the practical tips on taking a global strategy and making it locally relevant in each of your countries/markets. Too often ED&I strategies are perceived to be “exports from the US or UK” or “corporate mandates from country headquarters.” I will share practical tips and partnerships that break this perception, sharing some evidence of the growing dialogue on ED&I around the world and how it is interpreted in various regions. I will talk through what enabled the companies I worked with to make our ED&I strategies locally and culturally-relevant around the globe, leveraging data collection via self-identification, local action plans, country and region-specific goals, learning, and employee resource group chapters.

Watch an exclusive presentation from one of our expert speakers on how they have adapted their diversity strategies to become more inclusive in the workplace.

We’re all looking to build truly inclusive places to work, but how do we know where to invest our efforts to make a real difference? Bex Moore from employee insight and experience specialists Karian and Box will discuss how we can listen better and inform action that creates meaningful, tangible change for our teams.

Without actionable insights from HR and People data, companies are flying blind. However, just 40% of c-suite leaders say their organization uses HR data to make business decisions including evaluating their diversity and inclusion strategies, Sage’s recent research report ‘HR in the moment: Impact through insights’ revealed. Despite 94% of c-suite leaders having access to some form of People data, 68% said they’re not heavily reliant on it. Join us in this session to understand the four steps to better People analytics, and how HR and People leaders can deliver impact through insights, including:

• Understanding where you are in your People analytics journey
• Knowing how you compare to others
• Finding out what data other HR leaders are using to build their diversity and inclusion strategies.

Gillian will talk through the steps taken in her organisation over the last 2 years to really understand disparity in experiences and outcomes for colleagues from Black, Asian and ethnic minorities when compared to White colleagues.  She will share some of the pitfalls to be avoided and learning about what works well.

The story will explore:

• Why data and insight must drive decisions and action
• The role of senior leaders in culture change
• Whole organisation engagement
• Mandating or not mandating training – how you know when you have critical mass

Commitment, resilience and determination.

Today, most companies understand the benefits of diversity. However, many still struggle with their DE&I efforts. While hiring a more diverse talent pool is critical, it’s only one side of the equation. To truly reap the benefits of diversity, companies must create inclusive organizational cultures where everyone feels they belong. So, how can HR make sure they’re looking beyond diversity, especially in remote and hybrid work? Nikita Solberg, DE&I Advocate at Hibob, will share processes and programs to ensure you’re on the right track to a more inclusive organization.

In this session, Nikita Solberg at Hibob will cover:

• How to outwardly prioritize diversity and inclusion
• How to build a diversity and inclusion committee
• Ways to create a remote culture of recognition, as recognition can help drive inclusivity
• Top trends when hiring global teams and onboarding them remotely
• Tips for building better employee-manager relationships while promoting a sense of belonging

Conscious inclusion is the number one strategic objective for McCann Worldgroup, one of the world’s 4 biggest advertising agencies. Recognising the value of a globally integrated community, their D, I & B focus centres around a ‘Day for Meaning’ – a whole day of reflection, every year, dedicated to learning, discussing and deciding which local actions to take forward and make a difference to the lives of their employees and the communities around them. Lucy McKerron, D, I & B leader for McCann Synergy, joins us to share the story of how they activated this on a global scale across 45 countries and 100 locations. The aim: to address challenges, bias, themes and opportunities to be a more diverse and inclusive organisation now, and in the years to come.